The Briton suffered the damage to his left hand approaching the ultimate 10 minutes of FP1 on Saturday morning, after he locked up into the opening flip, Sainte Commit.
Hen took to the escape highway at excessive pace, with the best entrance wheel of his McLaren hitting the barrier and along with his fingers nonetheless on the steering wheel.
Regardless of getting out of the automotive unaided and strolling again to the pits, additional evaluation has revealed an damage that can put Hen out of at present’s Monaco E-Prix.
Hen beforehand broken his left wrist in London whereas driving for Jaguar in 2022, which meant he missed the season finale in Seoul.
Following a visit to hospital the place he was x-rayed, McLaren confirmed that Hen has damaged one bone in his left hand and “would require additional therapy”.
A press release from the McLaren group learn: “Because of a hand damage sustained throughout Free Observe 1, Sam Bird won’t take part within the remaining periods on the Monaco E-Prix.
“Because of this, and pending approval from the FIA, Taylor Barnard can be stepping in for the rest of the occasion.”
Sam Hen, NEOM McLaren System E Crew, e-4ORCE 04
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Barnard is McLaren’s reserve driver in System E and has taken half in a lot of rookie periods with the group, the newest coming earlier this month in a 30-minute session forward of the Misano E-Prix which he topped.
The 19-year-old Briton has but to start out a System E race and is presently racing in System 2 with PHM AIX Racing, recording a greatest results of thirteenth to date.
Beforehand, the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award finalist in 2023 raced in F3 with Jenzer Motorsport final yr the place he completed tenth total after recording one win at Spa.
Hen is one in all a number of drivers who has suffered a hand damage following a crash within the final yr.
Envision driver Robin Frijns missed 4 System E races final season after struggling a collision within the opening race of the season in Mexico Metropolis, with the Dutchman requiring surgical procedure to pin and set the damaged bones earlier than returning over two months later.
In System 1, Daniel Ricciardo suffered the same destiny after crashing throughout apply for the Dutch Grand Prix in 2023 which additionally sidelined the Australian for 4 races throughout a two-month interval.